Who Is Mary McAleese? Age, Biography and Wiki
Mary McAleese was born on June 27, 1951, making her 73 years old as of 2025. She served as the President of Ireland from 1997 until 2011, becoming the country’s second female president and the first to come from Northern Ireland. McAleese is known for her efforts to promote peace and reconciliation during and after the Troubles in Ireland. Her presidency was marked by advocacy for equality and inclusion, particularly concerning issues affecting women and the LGBTQ+ community.
| Occupation | Journalist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | June 27, 1951 |
| Age | 73 Years |
| Birth Place | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Country | Ireland |
Popularity
Mary McAleese's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Mary McAleese stands at an estimated height of 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) and weighs approximately 150 pounds (68 kg). While specific body measurements may not be widely reported, her presence remains influential in social and political circles.
On the ordination of women, McAleese said "I believe that women should be ordained, I believe the theology on which that is based is pure codology. I'm not even going to be bothered arguing it. Sooner or later it'll fall apart, fall asunder under its own dead weight."
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Mary McAleese is married to Martin McAleese, whom she wed in 1977. The couple has three children together: Rebecca, Justin, and Claire. As of 2025, there are no reports of any noteworthy changes in McAleese's relationship status, maintaining a strong family foundation while she focuses on her public engagements and advocacy work.
In 1976, she married Martin McAleese, an accountant and dentist. He assisted his wife with some of her initiatives as president.
They have three children: Emma, born in 1982, who graduated as an engineer from University College Dublin and graduated as a dentist from Trinity College Dublin; and twins born in 1985, Justin, an accountant with a master's degree from University College Dublin, and SaraMai, who obtained a master's degree in biochemistry at the University of Oxford
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Ahead of the 2015 marriage equality referendum, Justin spoke publicly about growing up gay.
Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Mary McAleese's net worth is estimated to be around $2 million. While her salary while in office was a matter of public record, her wealth mainly stems from her long career in law, academia, and public service. Following her presidency, McAleese has engaged in various speaking engagements and authored several books, contributing to her financial standing.
Career, Business and Investments
After completing her term as President, McAleese has remained active in various capacities, advocating for peace and social justice both in Ireland and internationally. She has worked in academia, serving as a professor at Boston College, and is also involved in public speaking and consultancy. Her investments have primarily included her intellectual endeavors, including the promotion of Irish culture and history.
McAleese has a long-standing involvement in ecumenism and anti-sectarianism. She co-chaired the working party on sectarianism set up by the Irish Inter-Church Meeting in 1991 and its report (1993) was described by Professor Marianne Elliot as "the most notable" work of the Inter-Church Meetings.
McAleese was the author and presenter of a successful BBC Radio Ulster series called "The Protestant Mind" which encouraged the divided communities in Northern Ireland to try to stand in each other's shoes.
McAleese was a member of the Catholic Church Episcopal Delegation to the New Ireland Forum in 1984, and a member of the Catholic Church delegation to the Northern Ireland Commission on Contentious Parades in 1996.
She was also a delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Trade and Investment in Ireland and to the subsequent Pittsburgh Conference in 1996. She became the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast.
Prior to becoming president in 1997, McAleese had also held the following positions: Channel 4 Television, Director, Northern Ireland Electricity, Director, Royal Group of Hospitals Trust and Founding member of the Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas.
Social Network
Mary McAleese is active on several social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, where she engages with the public, shares her views on current issues, and discusses her ongoing work in peace and reconciliation efforts. Her online presence allows her to connect with a vast audience, especially younger generations interested in political and social activism.
During the same decade, she was a legal advisor to and a founding member of the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform. She left this position in 1979, to join RTÉ as a journalist and presenter, during one period as a reporter and presenter for their Frontline replaced by Today Tonight in 1980 programme.
However, in RTÉ, she and Alex White (then a TV producer and later a Labour Party TD) were attacked and criticised by a group led by Eoghan Harris, associated with the Workers' Party, over what they perceived as her bias towards republican groups in the North.
McAleese was critical of the Provisional IRA, but believed it was important to hear their side of the story; she opposed the Harris faction's support for Section 31, which she believed was an attack on free speech. In 1981, she returned to the Reid Professorship, but continued to work part-time for RTÉ for a further four years.
In 1987, she returned to Queen's University, to become Director of the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. She stood, unsuccessfully, as a Fianna Fáil candidate in the Dublin South-East constituency at the 1987 general election, receiving 2,243 votes (5.9%).
Education
Mary McAleese holds a law degree from University College Dublin and a Master of Arts in canon law from the Gregorian University in Rome. Her educational background has greatly influenced her career path, allowing her to navigate complex political and social landscapes effectively.
Mary Patricia McAleese (Leneghan; born 27 June 1951 ) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the eighth president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, having received the nomination of Fianna Fáil.
She succeeded Mary Robinson, making her the second female president of Ireland and the first woman in the world to succeed another woman as president. She nominated herself for re-election in 2004 and was returned unopposed for a second term.
Born in Ardoyne, north Belfast, she is the first president of Ireland to have come from either Northern Ireland or Ulster.
